This invention relates generally to golf practice equipment and more particularly to an automated device for delivering golf balls one at a time to a ball striking area from which the balls may be struck for practice.
Driving ranges for practicing golf shots typically provide a mat having a surface which generally simulates a fairway surface. Often, a tee is provided on the mat which allows the golfer to tee balls up to practice tee shots. The balls ordinarily must be placed on the tee by hand or properly located on the mat with a golf club head. There have been automated systems proposed for delivering balls to the striking area in order to reduce the inconvenience and time involved in manually teeing the balls. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,789,824 to Willcox discloses a machine that dispenses balls and tees them up automatically.
Automated golf ball dispensing equipment must handle the balls in a manner to prevent them from jamming, being misapplied to the tee, or otherwise mishandled. Such problems have been prevalent in the past due largely to the use of electric switches and mechanical devices that are unable to function reliably for prolonged periods. This type of machine is inherently subject to abuse from forceful striking with golf clubs, so it must be able to withstand repeated forceful blows without damage. Another problem is that ball delivery systems are constructed either to deliver the ball to a flat mat or onto a tee and not both. As a result, both tee shots and fairway shots cannot be practiced. Furthermore, left handed golfers usually cannot conveniently use a machine that is made for right handed players.
The present invention is directed to a golf ball practice device which is improved in a number of respects compared to the equipment that has been proposed in the past.
In particular, the present invention is characterized by an automatic ball delivery system which operates in a reliable manner to place golf balls on a tee without jamming of the balls, misapplication of the balls to the tee, or other malfunctions. The provision of a carousel type delivery system for the balls is important in this respect, because it is able to assure that the balls are delivered one at a time with the proper timing and reliability. With respect to the delivery of the balls and synchronized operation of the teeing mechanism, the present invention provides a motor that raises and lowers the tee at the proper times in synchronization with the carousel which delivers the balls to the teeing area. The carousel system is able to handle a large number of balls and to reliably deliver them to the tee area one at a time without jamming or other mechanical problems. The motor for the tee operates through a special linkage to lower the tee each time a ball approaches the tee area, and to then raise the tee when the ball is in the proper position to be teed up on the tee.
It is an important feature of the invention that the height of the ball on the tee can be selected as either a high or low position. This feature is easily implemented by a simple height selector switch. Further, both the low tee setting and the high tee setting can be adjusted to accommodate the particular style of different users.
Another important aspect of the invention is the provision of two different tees, one of which is located for use by right handed players and the other of which is located for use by left handed players.
As an alternative to delivering the balls onto a tee, the machine can be easily adjusted to deliver the balls onto a flat surface that simulates fairway conditions. This feature allows fairway shots to be practiced as well as tee shots. The mat which simulates a golf course fairway can be removed and replaced by different mats, one of which may simulate the taller grass found in rough areas of golf courses and the other of which can simulate a sand trap. In this manner, various conditions of play can be practiced simply by interchanging different mats.
The machine of the present invention is characterized by a two-piece construction which enhances its portability. The carousel ball delivery mechanism and the ball striking areas are formed on one piece. The other piece takes the form of a platform that provides a surface on which the player stands while practicing golf shots. The platform has a detachable connection which allows the two pieces to be separated and carried separately to avoid the need to bear the weight of the entire machine when it is moved. Also, it can be transported or stored in a more compact condition when the two pieces are separated. The connection between the two pieces in the machine is arranged to provide the additional advantage of allowing the platform to be adjusted side to side so that the ball can be located more forwardly or more rearwardly in the stance of the player for different types of shots.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.